World Apocalypse: Apocalust

Chapter 41: Chapter XLI - Upgrade!

Noah selected Yes, bracing himself for some dramatic response as the System processed his choice. The number beside his Apocalust Points changed.

〔AP: 990〕

His eyes narrowed as he watched the thousand points he’d just received drop by ten.

That was it?

He’d expected something more dramatic—a flash of light, perhaps. Maybe it would announce the upgrade with some grand message to make it clear that something significant had just occurred.

Instead, it simply deducted the points with all the ceremony of a vending machine dispensing a can of soda.

The violet prompt vanished, and a new display immediately took its place.

This one displayed a timer, its crisp digital numerals arranged in a neat, modern format. The digits pulsed with a faint, rhythmic glow, flickering ever so slightly against the violet backdrop as the countdown began.

〔00:00:59〕

Noah stared at the countdown, his eyes fixed on the softly quivering digits with quiet interest. His gaze flicked toward the back door before returning to the screen where the final digit had just changed.

Whatever the System had in store remained unclear. The only thing Noah knew for certain was that the upgrade was underway, leaving him with nothing to do but wait.

Noah looked at Levy.

"We’ll have to wait a minute."

"A minute?" Levy repeated.

Noah nodded.

"That’s how long it says the upgrade will take."

Sage glanced toward the back door, then back at Noah.

"Makes sense. A minute isn’t long anyway."

With the upgrade leaving them little else to do but wait, the three fell into idle conversation. What started as small talk gradually wandered from one subject to another without much thought. Eventually, however, the conversation settled on something that had been lingering in the back of all their minds since the apocalypse began—the water and electricity.

How long would the water keep running, and would the power remain on now that no one was maintaining either system? More importantly, what would happen when they finally failed?

Levy offered his thoughts, with Noah occasionally chiming in and Sage adding her own observations. For a moment, it almost felt normal. Three people standing around a kitchen, talking about water and electricity as though the cause wasn’t the world falling apart just beyond the kitchen walls.

As this unfolded, Noah kept one eye on the countdown.

〔00:00:18〕

The conversation continued.

〔00:00:15〕

Noah gradually became less involved, his attention drifting away from the discussion as the remaining seconds slipped by.

〔00:00:12〕

Sage was the first to notice his silence. She glanced toward him, then followed his gaze to the door, her expression shifting as she realized what had caught his attention. Levy noticed a moment later, turning toward the door as well.

Neither said anything. They waited, the silence stretching as they realized the minute was likely nearing its end.

〔00:00:10〕

He stopped listening entirely—not that there was much left to hear. Levy and Sage fell silent beside him, their attention fixed on Noah as he watched the final seconds on the timer disappear one by one.

〔00:00:03〕

〔00:00:02〕

〔00:00:01〕

〔00:00:00〕

The screen vanished the instant the timer reached zero, dissolving into the air without leaving so much as a flicker behind. Noah barely had time to register its disappearance before a strange sensation stirred the air in front of him.

Black energy erupted across the back door in a sudden surge, spilling outward like ripples across a still lake disturbed by a falling stone.

It spread over the entire surface in almost an instant, flowing across the wood and glass before expanding outward to encompass the frame. The energy crawled along the edges, twisting and folding over itself as a pulse passed through the doorway from beneath the strange film.

Unlike the violet screens and notifications that existed solely for Noah, the energy’s movement and growth were unmistakably physical, spreading across the door as something tangible.

Levy could see it. So could Sage. And judging by the stunned expressions on their faces, neither of them had expected to witness anything like it.

The three of them stared at the door in fascination as the strange black energy continued to ripple across its surface.

Noah remained silent, watching closely for exactly five seconds.

Then the energy stilled—and only for a moment.

The black film began to dissolve, its solid-looking surface breaking apart into wisps of dark smoke that peeled away from the door and drifted lazily into the air. Yet the smoke didn’t linger. Within seconds, the last traces had faded completely, leaving nothing behind.

Noah’s attention immediately returned to the door itself.

Strangely enough, not much seemed different.

Aside from the wear and tear that came with constant use, along with a few imperfections scattered across its surface, the door looked practically identical to how it had moments ago.

Noah’s brow furrowed.

That’s it?

The same question seemed to cross Levy and Sage’s minds as well. The two approached the door, examining the strange energy from a cautious distance while Noah remained where he was, his gaze fixed on it.

Then, something occurred to him.

Appraisal.

If there was one way to find out whether the upgrade had actually done anything, it was the System’s appraisal function. Conveniently, the two seemed to go hand in hand.

Noah focused on the door and activated it. Almost immediately, information began to appear before him.

〔Reinforced Back Door〕

〔Quality: Common〕

〔Type: Structure〕

〔Material: Reinforced Wood〕

〔Condition: Good〕

〔Durability: 150/150〕

〔Security: Moderate〕

〔Description: A reinforced back door capable of withstanding moderate physical force.〕

Noah read through the screen, mentally jotting down each piece of information. Once he finished, he turned toward Levy and Sage, who seemed to let him work through his thoughts without interrupting.

Neither said a word, their attention remaining on him as they waited for him to finish whatever he was doing.

Noah looked over the information one last time before dismissing the appraisal. The violet screen faded from view, leaving only the ordinary-looking door in front of him.

"Well," he said, turning toward the other two, "looks like it worked."

Levy raised an eyebrow.

"Worked how?"

Noah gestured toward the back door.

"The upgrade. It didn’t change much visually, but the System says it’s reinforced now."

Sage’s gaze shifted toward the door, studying it with renewed interest.

"How reinforced?"

"Apparently enough to withstand ’moderate’ physical force."

Levy nodded slowly, seeming to consider that.

"So basically, it looks the same, but it’s harder to break?"

"That’s what I’m getting from it."

Sage stepped closer to the door and ran her fingers lightly along its surface. She pressed her palm against the wood, testing it without putting much force behind the gesture.

"Can you tell how much stronger it actually is?"

Noah shook his head.

"Not without testing it."

Levy glanced at him. "You planning on punching the door?"

"No."

"Good. Because I wasn’t volunteering."

Noah shook his head, though a faint smile tugged at his mouth.

"The appraisal gives me more information now, too. Quality, material, condition, durability, security... things like that."

"Durability?" Levy asked.

Noah nodded.

"It says one hundred fifty out of one hundred fifty."

Levy’s eyebrows rose. "Was it lower before?"

"Yeah. The old door was eighty out of one hundred."

That got both of their attention.

Sage looked back at the door. "So it didn’t just repair it. It actually made the door stronger."

"Looks like it."

Noah glanced down at his status, remembering the ten points he’d spent.

Ten AP for seventy extra durability and better security.

He looked toward the door again.

Not bad.

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